The present invention generally relates to the development of the dental arch of a patient and, more particularly, to a lingual arch developer that utilizes at least one telescoping force generator module on each side of the patient""s dental arch to increase a length dimension of the patient""s dental arch, as well as at least one telescoping force generator module to increase a width dimension of the patient""s dental arch.
There are various types of arches in the prior art for applying treatment forces on the lingual of a patient""s dental arch to develop or change the shape of this dental arch in at least some manner (generally, xe2x80x9clingual archesxe2x80x9d). One way in which the patient""s dental arch may be at least generally reshaped is by increasing the length of the dental arch, or its mesio-distal extent. Another way in which the dental arch may be at least generally reshaped is by increasing its width or its lateral extent. Oftentimes the reshaping that is desired by the orthodontist is some combination of both dental arch length and width.
Many different ways of generating the desired treatment forces by lingual arches have been proposed/implemented. Expansion of the patient""s dental arch may be accomplished by a resilient, generally U-shaped lingual wire whose two xe2x80x9clegsxe2x80x9d must be compressed toward each other in order to install the same within the patient""s mouth on the lingual. The resiliency of the two legs of the lingual wire exerts a biasing force on the lingual of posterior teeth of the patient""s dental arch in a direction that is at least generally transverse to the midline of the patient""s dental arch. Another expansion approach is to anchor a wire on opposite sides of the patient""s upper dental arch, and to form/include one or more force generating loops in the wire to generate at least generally transversely directed forces (i.e., transverse to the midline of the dental arch). Still another approach is palatal expansion by what is commonly referred to as a palatal expansion screw.
Forces to lengthen the patient""s dental arch have also been proposed/implemented by forming/including force generating loops in a resilient lingual wire that is appropriately anchored to this dental arch. Other approaches have utilized compression springs or the like to generate at least generally mesio-distally directed forces for lingual arch development.
There remains need for a lingual arch developer that can generate at least generally mesio-distally directed treatment forces on both sides of the patient""s dental arch, as well as expansion forces on the patient""s dental arch, preferably without being unnecessarily mechanically complex.
The present invention generally relates to a lingual arch developer that may be anchored to at least two teeth on opposite sides of a patient""s dental arch (i.e., on opposite sides of the midline of the patient""s dental arch). Any appropriate way of accomplishing this anchorage may be utilized, including using orthodontic bands and at least generally horizontally disposed tube attached to the bands. The lingual arch developer associated with the present invention is embodied in a configuration that includes at least one telescoping force generator module assembly on each side of the lingual arch developer, namely on each side of the developer""s midline, for exerting at least generally mesio-distally directed forces on both sides of the patient""s dental arch when this lingual arch developer is installed on the lingual of the patient""s dental arch (hereafter xe2x80x9cmesio-distal force generator module assembliesxe2x80x9d). These types of forces promote a lengthening of the patient""s dental arch. The noted lingual arch developer configuration that embodies the present invention also includes at least one telescoping force generator module assembly that is incorporated into the lingual arch developer so as to exert forces on the patient""s dental arch that will tend to widen or increase the width of the same (e.g., at least generally transverse to the midline of the patient""s dental arch, and thereby a xe2x80x9ctransverse force generator module assemblyxe2x80x9d).
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. The lingual arch developer may be characterized as having a posterior section and an anterior section that are disposed on opposite sides of each of the mesio-distal force generator module assemblies (the posterior section being disposed on the posterior side of the mesio-distal force generator module assembly, and the anterior section being disposed on the anterior side of the mesio-distal force generator module assembly). At least one or both of each anterior section and its corresponding posterior section may be slidably or telescopingly interconnected with its corresponding mesio-distal force generator module assembly. In any case, each anterior section and its corresponding posterior section are biased apart at least generally along a mesio-distal reference axis by their corresponding mesio-distal force generator module assembly.
In one embodiment, the noted anterior sections that may be associated with each of the mesio-distal force generator module assemblies may be part of a one-piece lingual arch. For instance, a first anterior section on a first side of the midline of the lingual arch developer and a second anterior section on a second side of the midline of the lingual arch developer may be of one-piece construction, with each of its two free ends then interfacing with its own mesio-distal force generator module assembly on opposite sides of the patient""s dental arch. In another embodiment, the noted anterior sections may be separate structures (e.g., symmetric or asymmetric relative to the midline of the lingual arch developer), having one end that is slidably or telescopingly interconnected with the transverse force generator module assembly (e.g., for the case where the transverse force generator module assembly is disposable at least generally proximate to the tip of the patient""s tongue, most typically for a lower dental arch application, and such that the transverse force generator module assembly would bias the first and second anterior sections apart in an at least generally transverse direction relative to the midline of the patient""s dental arch), and having an opposite end that is slidably or telescopingly interconnected with its corresponding mesio-distal force generator module assembly. For instance, one portion of each of the noted anterior sections could be disposed so as to interface with at least one of a central and a lateral of the patient""s dental arch and the transverse force generator module assembly, while another portion of each of the noted anterior sections could be disposed so as to interface with at least one of a cuspid, a first bicuspid, and a second bicuspid of the patient""s dental arch and its corresponding mesio-distal force generator module assembly.
The transverse force generator module assembly may be incorporated into the lingual arch developer by what may be characterized as a transverse wire assembly. Generally, the transverse wire assembly would then extend from one side of the lingual arch developer to its opposite side (i.e., from one side of its midline to the opposite side of its midline). This transverse wire assembly may include or be defined by the noted pair of anterior sections in the case where the transverse force generator module assembly is disposed at least generally proximate to the tip of the patient""s tongue. This will typically be the case for when the lingual arch developer is adapted for a lower dental arch application. The transverse wire assembly may also be more distally disposed, such as for an upper dental arch application. In this case, the transverse wire assembly may be shaped so as to extend up toward the palate of the patient.
The mesio-distal force generator module assemblies may be disposed at any appropriate mesio-distal position, including where they are disposed at the same mesio-distal position and at different mesio-distal positions (e.g., symmetric or asymmetric). The treatment forces generated by the mesio-distal force generator module assemblies may also be the same or of different magnitudes. The transverse force generator module assembly may be disposed at any appropriate mesio-distal position as well (although in an orientation to generate at least generally transversely directed expansion forces), and may be symmetrically or asymmetrically disposed relative to the midline of the patient""s dental arch on which the lingual arch developer is to be installed. The magnitude of the biasing forces exerted by the transverse force generator module assembly may also be of any appropriate magnitude, including being the same as or different from that provided by the mesio-distal force generator module assemblies.
In the case where the lingual arch developer is adapted for a lower dental arch application, the pair of mesio-distal force generator module assemblies and the transverse force generator module assembly will typically be at least generally coplanar. However, where the lingual arch developer is adapted for an upper dental arch application, although the pair of mesio-distal force generator module assemblies will still likely be disposed in at least generally coplanar relation, the transverse force generator module assembly will typically be vertically offset from the mesio-distal force generator module assemblies so as to be disposed within the vault defined by the patient""s palate or at least above the patient""s tongue.